Attachment for cotton-pickers



J. F. SCHENCK, JR.

ATTACHMENT FOR COTTON PICKERS.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 13, 1919- 1,328,904,. Patented Jan. 27,1920.

2 SHEETSSHEET l- J. F. SCHENCK, JR.

ATTACHMENT ron conou PICKERS APPUCATION FILED NOV- l3, 19 19- 1. ,328,904, Y Patented Jan. 2211920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

JOHN F. SCI-IENCK, JR., 0F SHELBY, NORTH CAROLINA.

ATTACHMENT FOR COTTON-PICKERS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 27, 1920.

Application filed November 13, 1919. Serial No. 337,666.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN F. SCHENCK, Jr., a citizen of the United States, residing at Shelby, in the county of Cleveland and State of North Carolina, have invented new and useful Improvements in Attachments for Cotton-Pickers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to cotton pickers of the type used in cotton mills to form the cotton into laps for the card. In this type of machine, mechanism is comprised for ef-- fecting a knock-off or stop when the lap has a certain number of yards of cotton on it and usually when the full lap is taken off of the machine the picker is started again to make a new lap by raising a hand lever which throws a pinion gear serving to transmit motion into contact with the large gear that drives the calender rolls. In some types of this particular machine, and particularly in that machine known as the Kitson Picker the hand leven is held in place by a catch lever until the lap is full. when said catch lever is pushed back and allows the hand lever to fall and pull the pinion gear out of contact with the calender rolls gear, andvthereby stop the latter. The present improvement or attachment consists in means operating in connection with the hand lever for throwing the pinion gear carried by the latter into contact with the large gear of the calender rolls by means of the foot instead of the hand, and the primary object in view, as well as the advantage of the attachment is to increase production by enabling an operative to take the full lap 0E and start the machine running again more quickly by a foot action than by the use of the hand. Considerable work is saved the operator by the use of the improved attachment as a slight pressure of the foot starts the calender rolls or machine whereas a pull from 20 to 30 pounds is required with the hand to start the machine. As the usual picker makes a lap about every seven to ten minutes, it can be readily perceived the amount of work required of an operative in the usual days labor to start the calender rolls of a machine of this type, but by the use of the improved foot operating means this labor is materially reduced with benefit and advantage to the operative.

A preferred form of the attachment is illustrated in the accompanying drawings in connection with so much of a picker as will practically demonstrate the application of the improvement. In these drawings Figure 1 is a side elevation of a hand lever and the usual catch lever together with the calender rolls gear having the improved attachment applied thereto as shown in full and dotted lines.

Fig. 2 is a front end. elevation of the mechanism embodying the features of the invention and a front elevation of a portion of the main frame of the picker.

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2, showing the parts in a diflerent position.

The numeral 5 designates a hand lever carrying a suitably-driven pinion 6 adapted to mesh with the gear 7 which operates the calender roll (not shown). Adjacent to the hand lever a catch lever 8 is mounted and pivoted to a hanger 9, the catch lever having an upwardly projecting arm 10, an intermediate shoulder 11, and a lower gravi tating weight 12. Cooperating with the upwardly projecting arm 10 of the catch lever 8 is a release striker 13 actuated by the gear ing 14. as usual in this type of machines. The hand lever 5 extends through and is vertically movable in a slotted guide 15, and when said lever is raised the weight 12 of the catch lever 8 causes the latter to move into position to effect a retention of the hand lever in elevated position as shown by Fig. 3 and in which position the upwardly projecting arm 10 of the catch lever is nearly vertical or stands in close to the striker 13, and as the said striker comes around in the position shown by dotted lines in Fig. 2 the arm 10 is thrown outwardly against the resistance of the weight 12 and the hand lever is released and gravitates in the guide 15, such gravitating movement of the hand lever releasing the pinion 6 from the gear 7 and causing the calender rolls to stop.

The improved attachment comprises a coupling link or bar 16 pivotally connected to the hand lever in rear of the catch lever 8, the lower end of the said link or bar 16 being movably attached to the rear end of a treadle lever 17 fulcrumed on a support 18 suitably secured to the floor on which the machine rests. The front projecting end of the lever 17, is provided with a tread plate 19. This form of the improved attachment is simple and demonstrates one practical application of the invention, and in its operation the tread plate 19 is engaged by the foot of the operator and depressed, thereby elevating the rear'eXtremity of the lever 17 and forcing the link 16 upwardly and also the hand lever 5, as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 1. The leverage of the treadle lever 17 and link 16 together with the greater power exerted through the pressure of the foot and weight of the human body renders the elevation of the hand lever comparatively easy and takes considerable labor and stress off the operator, and this saving in labor will result in an increase in production in view of the fact that the machine will be more quickly dotted with shorter intervals in the starting of the machine be tween the .dofling operations. Another advantage of the improved attachment is that when a picker .beeomes choked-up in the calender rolls the mechanism may be more easily started through the foot attachment and .the operative is relieved of the jerking action to which he is frequently subjected owing to the fact that the gears do not have a full mesh. A still further advantage is that the gears will last much longer as the motion is positive and there is no slipping of gear teeth when the foot lever is used.

The improved attachment may be readily applied to machines now in use without modifying or essentially varying the construction and general organization of pickers, and in view of the simplicity of the attachment the cost incident to the application thereof will be reduced to a minimum as compared to the material advantages resulting from its use.

What is claimed is 1. In a picker of the class specified, the combination with a hand lever carryin a driving pinion and mounted to have vertical movement, a gear for operating calender rolls, and a gravitating catch lever for the hand lever together with means for automatically releasing the catch lever when a lap is completed, of a foot pressure attachment connected to the said hand lever for raising the latter to cause the'pinion thereof to engage said gear.

2. In a picker of the class specified, the combination with a gravitating lever carrying a driving pinion, a gear for operating calender rolls, a catch means for holding said lever elevated, and mechanism for automatically releasing the catch means and lever when a lap has been completed, of a foot lever connected to said gravitating lever for raising the latter and provided with a pressure plate and a connection relatively to said gravitating lever.

3. ,In a picker of the class specified, the combination with a gravitating lever carrying a driving pinion, a gear for operating calender rolls, catch means for holding said lever elevated, and mechanism for automatically releasing the catch means and lever when a lap has been completed, of foot operated means connected to said gravitating lever for raising the latter and effecting an engagement of the catch means therewith.

t. In a picker machine of the class specified, the combination with movable means carrying a driving pinion, a gear for operat ing calender rolls and disposed for engagement by said pinion, and mechanism for holding said movable means and pinion elevated to effect mesh of the pinion with the said gear and for releasing the movable means and pinion when a lap is completed and causing the latter to disengage from the gear, of foot operated means connected to said movable means for raising the latter and engage the pinion with the gear to start the machine subsequent to removal of a lap.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOHN F. SCHENOK, JR. Vitnesses GEO. C. SHUFORD, H. H. WILSON. 

